Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury ( henceforth referred to as “TBI”) is caused by being hit or a jolt dealt to the head. It could also result from an item penetrating the head that damages the brain or otherwise causes the brain to act abnormally. TBI can happen when the head very suddenly hits an object at a rapid speed, or when a foreign object enters the brain tissue. TBI can result from a:

car wreck,

trucking accident,

motorcycle accident,

work accident,

defective product, or

an accident due to a dangerous condition on personal property.

If your TBI was caused by the negligence of another individual or party, you should immediately contact an experienced South Carolina Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney to make sure that you are protected and to make sure that you get the proper compensation.

Causes of TBI

Bruising (internal bleeding): If your TBI was secured by a heavy blow to the head or jolt (seatbelt example above), the brain has forward momentum which causes it to continue, in accordance with physics, until stopped, which, in this case, is the skull. When the brain hits the skull, it causes blood vessels to tear and release blood into the brain which compresses the brain tissue as there’s no room for it in the small area of the skull. This compression will cause the brain tissue to malfunction or even die off.

Whiplash is an example of such an injury. Your brain hits the front of your skull, then when the seatbelt causes your body to stop and your body moves back, the brain, too, flies backward and hits the back of your skull. Now your brain has bruises in different areas. These injuries are often referred to as “contra coup” injuries.

Tearing: If the brain moves both forward and backward, it can cause the brain tissue to tear. This is extremely serious as this can cause the brain to stop working. This happens at a microscopic level meaning medical tests like a CT-Scan or MRI may not show this tearing.

Swelling: Just like any other type of injury, the brain will swell. When the body tries to repair damage, the healing agents it sends, have no room to work as the skull is an enclosed space. There is no room, and the brain will swell causing the pressure to build up in your brain and can lead to permanent damage.

Showing TBI Symptoms?

Depending on the type of injury and the severity, the symptoms vary. In the case of a mild brain injury, you may not present with symptoms, or the onset may be delayed. Typical symptoms include:

Bad taste in the mouth;

Behavioral or mood changes;

Blurred vision or tired eyes;

Changes in sleep patterns;

Confusion;

Dizziness;

Fatigue or lethargy;

Headache;

Lightheadedness;

Ringing in the ears;

Trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.

Mild traumatic brain injuries are defined by loss of consciousness and/or confusion and disorientation for less than 30 minutes.
A person with a moderate or severe TBI may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

If you or someone you know has any signs of moderate to severe TBI–seek medical attention immediately. The brain is extremely complex and sensitive and often times, the damage is irreversible. Containing the current damage and preventing any further injury is critical. Moreover, because the brain controls every single aspect of your body, maintaining proper oxygen levels, blood flow, and blood pressure is necessary.

It is possible that you could have TBI without immediately presenting symptoms after a car wreck. If you weren’t driving at a fast rate or didn’t hit your head, you may still have a TBI. If a seatbelt caused you to rapidly stop your body from moving forward, your brain still has that momentum and your skull would be the seatbelt. Your brain could smash into your skull to give you a concussion. TBIs can range from fairly mild (loss of consciousness) to severe (coma or amnesia). You need to find an aggressive attorney to represent you to ensure your rights are protected. Just as the brain’s complexity, the law surrounding TBI is also complex and unique. This requires a TBI attorney with both legal and medical knowledge.

TBI Is VERY Serious

As TBIs are complex, this post can’t possibly contain all of the information you need. Please learn more about TBIs by visiting our website. We suggest you do not wait to hire an attorney. If you believe that you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury due to another person’s or business’s negligence, please contact us in Columbia, South Carolina, for a free consultation.

Motorcycle Accident Injuries and Fatalities

Whenever you’re on the road–as a car driver or motorcycle driver, you’re bound to notice all of the motorcycles that ride right along with you. Because there are so many bikers now, unfortunately, there are also more motorcycle accidents which typically result in very serious or even fatal injuries to the biker and/or a passenger. Far too frequently, the accidents are a direct result of careless or negligent conduct by the driver of automobiles or other larger motor vehicles. To help you or a loved one get the proper compensation for:

Injuries

As we mentioned earlier, the injuries that one sustains as a direct result of a motorcycle accident are usually extremely serious, most of the time permanent, and sometimes deadly. When you reach out to a motorcycle accident attorney, they will fight to assist you. These attorneys will work to carefully and diligently inspect all of the evidence which lead to the collision, including:

Timeline of events

Road conditions

Mechanical factors

This is of the utmost importance when establishing who is at fault for the accident and establishing the chronological order of what happened leading to the collision.

Motorcycle Accident Attorneys’ Job

The crucial pieces will sometimes lead us to find that the police report doesn’t actually match the actual events, and if retained early enough, one of our lawyers will respond to the scene of the accident and bring along an expert in accident reconstruction to help you prove you’re not at fault.

Compensation

It is important to reach out to an attorney who can use resources beyond the accident report to help fight for you. The amount of compensation one can receive for an injury or death in a motorcycle accident depends on many things including:

Financial losses

Medical expense

Pain and suffering

Decreased quality of life

If you’ve suffered an injury or death of a loved one because of another’s negligence, please don’t wait to contact a motorcycle accident attorney. Let them fight to get you or a grieving family just compensation.

Suffering Through A Burn Injury

Almost inevitably as a human being, you’ve suffered some sort of burn. Whether the burn came from a sunburn, crafting accident with a hot glue gun, cooking burn, scalding water, dropping coffee on yourself, etc. You’ve felt how painful a burn is. Hopefully you haven’t experienced a severe burn–a burn that blistered or turned white or black or left you without feeling in the burn’s area. Burns can come from any number of things including the above mentioned, and also including exposure to fire, chemicals, radiation, or any number of other burn-inducing situations. The effect of a burn can be life-altering and result in permanent scarring, nerve and muscle damage, or even death. If you have suffered a serious burn injury due to the negligent actions or inaction of another individual, you need to contact a South Carolina burn injury lawyer immediately so that they can fight to get you the compensation that you deserve while you focus on healing.

Types of Burns

There are arguably four different degrees of burning, though most people only recognize that there are three. A first degree burn extends to the epidermis only, turns red without blisters, and can be very painful, but will heal well with the majority of cases not resulting in scarring. A second degree burn extends into the upper skin layers and will usually blister. These burns are moist to the touch and can cause infections, but generally no scarring. If it is a deep second degree burn, it will extend into the deeper skin tissue and cause blistering, possible scarring, and may require skin grafting. Third degree burns extend through all layers of the skin, turn white or brown, and have a leathery texture with no pain. This is because the nerves have become so damaged and traumatized that they are no longer able to work. These burns will cause scarring and possible amputation. A fourth degree burn (severe third degree burn) will extend past the skin layers and burn deep into the fat, muscle, and possibly bone. The skin will char and turn black, have no pain, and will almost always require amputation, and may even result in death. This is clearly the most serious burn, and treatment should never be attempted by the injured party. You need to immediately go to a hospital.

Compensation

The excruciating pain both physically and psychologically, the disfigurement, and more that a burn victim faces is incomprehensible. Most of the time, these severe burns require care, rehabilitation, and more surgeries for the remainder of the injured party’s life, which is why it’s so imperative that a burn injury attorney is contacted promptly so they can evaluate the medical action and the impact on your current and future life. The type of burn victim and wrongful death attorneys you should retain have the resources that you need to properly assess burn injury cases. They will also be able to help you plan for the future and your long-term care.

Cases We Handle:

We have handled severe burn cases that were a result of:

Burns from defective products and equipment

Chemical burns

Electrical burns

Radiation

Severe scald burns

Burns resulting from post-car accident fuel-fed fires or explosions

Our South Carolina Burn Injury attorneys have a passion for helping victims recover the full amount compensation they deserve. Let us take care of you while you focus on healing.

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The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. J.P. Strom, Jr., PA Strom Law Firm, L.L. C. 803.252.4800 2110 N. Beltline Blvd. Columbia, SC 29204-3999